Reuters - Health Report

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Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Republicans weigh health bill changes as doubts mount

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House and congressional leaders said on Tuesday they were weighing changes to their plan to dismantle the Obamacare health law as Republicans' questions mounted following an estimate that it would cause 14 million Americans to lose insurance next year.

AstraZeneca ovarian cancer drug slows disease markedly in study

LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca's ovarian cancer drug Lynparza slashed the risk of disease progression in a closely watched clinical trial, boosting its profile against rivals within the novel PARP inhibitor drug class.

ABC ordered to face defamation trial over 'Pink Slime' reports

(Reuters) - A South Dakota state judge has ordered ABC Broadcasting to face a potential $5.7 billion defamation lawsuit claiming it damaged Beef Products Inc by referring in a series of reports to a meat product it sold as "pink slime."

Novartis wins U.S. approval for breast cancer drug; to compete with Pfizer's Ibrance

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis has won U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for Kisqali to treat postmenopausal women who have a difficult-to-treat form of breast cancer, challenging U.S. rival Pfizer's Ibrance.

Plaintiffs in U.S. lawsuit say Monsanto ghostwrote Roundup studies

(Reuters) - Employees of Monsanto Co ghostwrote scientific reports that U.S. regulators relied on to determine that a chemical in its Roundup weed killer does not cause cancer, farmers and others suing the company claimed in court filings.

Merck's Keytruda wins FDA nod for treating blood cancer

(Reuters) - Merck & Co Inc said on Tuesday it had got a nod from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its already-approved immunotherapy drug Keytruda as a treatment for a type of blood cancer.

Risks of Endo's opioid painkiller outweigh benefits: FDA panel

(Reuters) - The benefits of Endo International Plc's long-acting opioid painkiller no longer outweigh its risks, an independent panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded on Tuesday.

Study shows healthcare in Syria now a target of war

LONDON (Reuters) - The international community must do more to protect healthcare in Syria as medical services become targets of war, according to a study published in The Lancet medical journal on Tuesday.

Poultry breeder Aviagen culls U.S. flock over bird flu fears

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Aviagen [EWESJA.UL], the world's leading poultry breeding company, has euthanized chickens at a farm in Alabama over concerns about bird flu, the company said on Tuesday, as likely cases of the disease emerged in a top chicken-producing state.

Two-part Ebola vaccine offers long-lasting protection

(Reuters) - The world should be far better prepared for the next Ebola outbreak, with further promising results on Tuesday showing the potential of a long-lasting vaccine against the deadly virus.